What to do with kids on the weekend? The last-minute, simple weekend adventure sometimes does more for family bonding than the well-planned, and expensive vacation.
When it comes to finding quality family time, doing so during the week is difficult if not impossible. Between office work and extra-curricular activities, there’s never any time for just some good family fun.
However, when the weekend rolls around it just takes a little creative thinking for fun-filled memorable family outings. So, clear your calendar and make some family memories with our ten fun weekend activities for you and the kids. You’re sure to find a family adventure regardless of the season.
Treasure Hunting
Kids and adults love a good treasure hunt and planning one for your family is a simple and inexpensive project. Start by hiding small dollar store trinkets and gems around the yard or in the house, depending on the weather. Make a treasure hunt map with a list of the treasure items and print one off for each family member.
To make your map look authentic and ancient, find some parchment style paper for printing your map. Soak the map in some tea or coffee then hang to dry. Your paper comes out looking stained and ancient, just like a real pirate treasure map.
On the day of the hunt, give each member of the family their own map. You can also hide the maps around the house for them to discover on their own. Place the maps where everyone can easily find them. Areas like where they put their toys away or their clothes drawer make good locations for hiding maps.
Have a Cooking Class
Get the entire family involved and give a cooking class. Pick out a project that lets the kids get their hands dirty. Children love making things they can squish and mold with their hands. Try making pie crusts, pizza dough, biscuits, or a simple, quick bread recipe. Watching the bread dough rise then punching it down and kneading it is a fun and fascinating project.
Hold a Talent Show
Kids naturally love performing, and what better way to showcase their budding talent than with a family talent show. Fix a finger food lunch and invite their friends for a fun afternoon of singing, dancing, magic tricks, and more. The kids will have a day they’ll always remember, and the grownups will love it as well.
Game Day
Whether you’re planning a game day once a week or once a month, nothing bonds families like playing games together. Ditch the electronics and go for the old-fashioned board or card games. Playing games together is a lot of fun and will have everyone talking about it for days after.
Volunteering and Community Service
Volunteering is a perfect way to share quality family time. There are dozens of ways you and the kids can give back to your community. Here are some ideas for volunteering your service:
- Local garden clubs for beautifying public areas
- Animal shelters and rescue organizations
- Retirement homes and community meal services
- Beach or city park cleanup
Regardless of which project you choose, volunteering teaches children the importance of helping others.
A Trip to the Zoo
Perhaps one of the most educational outings, other than a museum, is a trip to the zoo. Most zoos offer family passes for a year of family trips. Zoos also offer special educational programs that help you learn interesting facts about the animals around us. You can also find different zoo facility tours that give you a closer look at the animal world. Check with your local zoo to see what they offer.
Start Gazing
Start your stargazing adventure by buying a start chart. Find a stargazing spot, whether in your backyard or the local park. Choose an area that gives you a clear, unobstructed view of the sky. When the stars come out, take your chart and make a game of seeing how many constellations you can find. It’s also fun to see how the night sky changes with each passing hour.
Another fun and inexpensive way to connect with the night sky is by finding a local planetarium or observatory. Many offer nightly showings or have special viewings for different planetary occurrences.
Visit the Museum
While kids might think a museum sounds boring, many offer special children’s exhibits with some having a hands-on experience. Check with your local chamber of commerce for the exhibits currently offered at area museums. Usually, you’ll find many covering topics your kids love, like video gaming history, prehistoric exhibits, and more.
Day of Biking
There are hundreds of miles of refurbished railroad tracks throughout the country, used for free biking trails. Known as the Rails-to-Trails, this organization started turning unused railroads into biking paths running through canyons, mountain passes, and grasslands. Do a little research before setting out on your family ride and enhance your adventure with the area’s historical backstory.
Go Fishing
Despite what you might think, fishing is an inexpensive outing the whole family can enjoy. It’s relaxing, fun, and you can have a family outing with little investment. You can find small rods and reels for as little as $10, and another $10-$20 buys enough tackle for the whole family. Whether fishing from the dock, a river bank, or on a boat, this activity brings you and the kids closer to nature.
Conclusion
The weekends move so fast, and many of us miss the chance to spend quality time with our kids. You don’t need to take a road trip or fly off to an exotic location to have a fun family outing.
There are many different things you can do close to home that can help bring you and the kids closer together. It doesn’t matter whether you go outdoors or stay inside.
Spending time together as a family helps build a healthy relationship with your child while leaving memories for a lifetime.
Author BIO
This guest post was written by Isaac Atia, Editor in Chief at 10BestRanked, a home and outdoors products review blog. Check out his latest post, Best Drones for Kids 2018.